


Cherry Wine

by melancholicpie



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Because come on, Don't copy to another site, Fluff, Just think that Laurent needs to hear he’s loved, M/M, There are ‘I love yous’ that are said, Tooth Rotting Fluff, also probably ooc, and appreciated, and be hugged through it, and he needs someone to tell him they’re proud, damen’s a sap, i did say it is self-indulgent, i think this is long coming, laurent cries, let this boy cry a little, self-indulgent little thingy, so..... deal with that I guess, we’re all proud of this our baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-09-07 04:42:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20303641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melancholicpie/pseuds/melancholicpie
Summary: “With all that flooding Damen’s chest and covering him with the warmest of feelings, he couldn’t help but say, “King Aleron and Queen Hennick would be filled with pride and happiness at the sight of you.””





	Cherry Wine

**Author's Note:**

> English is not my first language, so this might suck.
> 
> The most self-indulgent thing I’ve ever written in my life so... there’s that. 
> 
> The tittle is because I was listening to “Cherry Wine” by Hozier on repeat as I wrote. 
> 
> That’s all. Probably full of typos too. Good luck if u decide to read it.

That night, when the last day of celebrations of Laurent’s coronation was finally over, Damen and Laurent followed their way into the royal chambers. Laurent grinned like Damen’s never seen him do before, the moon itself couldn’t compete with his beauty or match his glow.

Helping Laurent out of his intricate and especially complicated vest, Damen thought. Ten months since they’ve met and Laurent had done everything and more; he reclaimed his throne, defeated his uncle, learned to be a leader for his men, and had already begun to show his people what kind of king he was going to be.

Apart from that, Laurent had given Damen access to his heart, and each day that went by, he looked more and more like the young man he was. All his flaws and mistakes didn’t stop him from growing, his past didn’t haunt him to the point it would take away his kindness, and his heart, the very thing that made Laurent so unique.

Laurent was at last given all the things that were his by right, everything he deserved, and he was embracing it all openly, gladly, with a wide smile that didn’t leave his lips ever since he first put on his silk and golden clothes and stood before his country to be declared their king, right on the border, in Marlas.

With all that flooding Damen’s chest and covering him with the warmest of feelings, he couldn’t help but say, “King Aleron and Queen Hennick would be filled with pride and happiness at the sight of you.”

A ghost of tension set on Laurent’s shoulders. Damen helped him shrug off his jacket and Laurent turned to face him, laying both of his hands on Damen’s chest. “Would they?” Laurent asked, and somehow the open and vulnerable tone Laurent used wasn’t at all what Damen had expected from him.

“They would,” Damen said, starting his work on the internal vest, an additional piece of clothing for a special occasion “They would be overjoyed to see that their son grew up to be such an honorable and righteous man and to see that man take his rightful place and become a wonderful king. They would be more than happy to know they took part in raising such an incredible person.”

Laurent’s eyes showed a sort of raw emotion, seeking in Damen’s face something that would help him believe what was being said to him and confirm that Damen was being nothing if not completely honest. The last piece of clothing was off and thrown in the same direction as his jacket. Now Laurent stood in his white shirt, that matched the milky tone of his skin, and his strictly laced pants and boots. Damen would take care of them in a moment, but right now? Right now he wouldn’t dare look away from Laurent’s wide and glittery eyes.

Damen cupped Laurent’s face in his hands and caressed his cheekbones with his thumbs. The room was illuminated by the orange light from the oil lamps and candles, only the faintest white glow from the window, a clear view of the moon, and the stairs. Laurent looked beautiful in that light and Damen wanted to kiss him, finish taking his clothes off and make love to him slowly the whole night. Damen, however, wasn’t done voicing what was on his mind.

“Auguste would be the proudest of them,” he said in a much more careful tone and much softer voice, one of his hands moving to take one strand of Laurent’s hair between his fingers “He would be about to burst at the sight of you fulfilling your duty with such grace. He would’ve hugged and told you how you’ll be the best king your country has ever seen.”

The smile Laurent gave him now was a lot more unsteady, his bottom lip trembling slightly and adding a brighter, moisty light to his eyes. It occurred to Damen then that he never once had seen Laurent cry and he wondered if he ever would. When Laurent spoke, his voice was steadier than his expression indicated. “It does sound like something Auguste would come up with,” his tone is light despite the almost melancholic heaviness of it “he would also probably call me something ridiculous like ‘little star’ and make me feel like his baby brother in front of my whole court and Akielon court alike. And you.”

Damen nodded, chuckling at the image his mind created of Laurent blushing in front of everyone because his brother's demonstrated affection. His heart clenched every time Laurent mentioned a situation that would’ve brought both Damen and Auguste together – that showed how much thought Laurent gave to the matter. In those moments, Damen felt almost like he had stolen something from Laurent, something he’d do absolutely anything to give back if only he could.

Damen’s hands traveled now to Laurent’s nape. He pulled Laurent closer and kissed the top of his head, then his forehead, where he let his lips linger a while longer. Laurent clenched his fists, grabbing a fistful of Damen’s chiton; he then let out a content sigh. Damen almost couldn’t deal with how fond he was of the person in his arms right now. No matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t come up with what he did that was so good for him to deserve someone like Laurent in his life.

When Damen pulled away, he had the chance to see, for just a few seconds, that Laurent had his eyes closed and his lips tilted just a little upwards. Damen’s heart melted at that. As Laurent’s eyes opened to meet his, he couldn’t hold back. “I am so proud of you. I already told you once, but I want to say again: I am proud to be your lover. You are the single most wonderful man I’ve ever had the honor to meet. You’re the strongest, the most honest, the most wholesome and the fairest.”

Laurent’s smile slowly came undone as Damen spoke, his expression took a somewhat surprised, his lips parted, the smallest frown between his blond brows. “You fought so hard for so long and Look at how far you’ve come. I admire all of you: your character, your mind, your integrity – but especially your courage and your heart. You retrieved everything belongs to you, you got your kingdom, and you got me. My heart is all yours. I’m the proudest man of all, I’m sure. No one has ever felt as proud as I am now of you.”

Laurent’s grip had tightened on the fabric he’s been holding on to. He looked at Damen and they were in one of those rare occasions in which Laurent seemed to have completely lost track of his words. His bottom lip was trapped firmly between his teeth. “I’m so incredibly proud of you,” he whispered once more “I love you, Laurent.”

Laurent broke. He hit his head against Damen’s chest much harder than he had to, his shoulders were so tense they went up all the way, almost touching his earlobes. Laurent was shaking with his whole body and Damen started to worry if he had said something he shouldn’t have; his worry increased when he heard the first heart-wrecking sound that came deep from Laurent’s throat. He was sobbing uncontrollably like a child would or someone who just received horrible news.

Never once Damen had seen Laurent cry.

Damen wanted to apologize but he didn’t know for what part exactly. It was, honestly, a little astonishing and Damen didn’t know how to act because it was the first time he’s seen Laurent like this. Damen wrapped his arms around Laurent and tried to soothe him by rubbing his back. He had no idea what else he could do.

Laurent cried like his heart had been broken, each sob coming from deep down and threatening to break him. It was one of the most horrible things that ever happened to Damen: see Laurent in this condition and not be able to do anything effective to help. He wished he didn’t say whatever he said that caused it.

After long minutes that dragged for too long, Laurent calmed down. His sobs became sniffs and he wasn’t trembling any longer. His face was still buried at Damen’s chest as if to not let Damen look at him. Which, knowing Laurent, was probably the reason.

Eventually, Damen pushed Laurent just enough to tilt Laurent’s chin using his index finger. Laurent had red-rimmed eyes, his nose a special tone of crimson that stood out even in the warm orange light of the rooms. Damen decided the safest thing to do would be kissing Laurent and not risk causing him to cry more.

He brushed his lips lightly against Laurent’s at first; an invitation. Enough only to sense his warmth and taste his now salty lips. Laurent closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. When he dove in again, Laurent opened his mouth. Their tongues slid together sweetly, tenderly, without rush or deeper intent. Damen had one of his hands on the lower of Laurent’s back and the other caressing Laurent’s cheek. Laurent threw his arms up around Damen’s neck, and Damen was under the impression Laurent was at the tip of his toes.

They kissed slow and gentle like this for ages. Laurent seemed to be trying to tell Damen something through their kiss, from the way his mouth moved, and his breath came at times in short huffs and at times as content sighs or deep exhales. Eventually, they parted. Laurent’s eyes ran through Damen’s face as his fingers played with the curls on the back of Damen’s head. Damen saw through Laurent’s face the process in which he gave up saying whatever was on the tip of his tongue again and again.

At last what Laurent said was, “Thank you,” in a breathy voice that would surely not be heard if not for the deadly silence in the rooms “Thank you so much.”

For what exactly, Damen thought, all I did was make you cry. “You’re welcome,” he was instead.

Laurent was smiling again, a tiny smile that was almost heartbreaking to look at with those wet lashes and barely dry tears on his cheeks. “After my mother died and then Auguste, I never thought I’d –” he paused “I never thought I’d hear it again.”

“You are very loved, Laurent,” Damen said. He thought Laurent knew that already.

“I know,” Laurent replied, and then repeated, more firmly “I know.” Damen thought they would leave it at that and was leaning again to peak Laurent on the lips when Laurent added, “I love you. Too.”

“I know,” Damen tried not to sound too smug.

They watched each other, allowing the feeling to settle between them, their hands wandering freely, kindly, touching every part of each other’s body they could reach. “You know, eventually we’ll have to finish undressing you.”

Laurent snorted. “You do know how to spoil the mood, don’t you?”

“I didn’t spoil anything,” Damen pushed Laurent backward gently, so they were moving towards the bed “I simply think it will be impossible to make love to you if you’re still in those pants. Your Majesty.”

“All your beautiful words were nothing if not your plan to bed me, Exalted?”

“I would never act so shamelessly,” the back of Laurent’s legs hit the bed and he let himself fall against it; Damen followed, climbing on top of Laurent, holding himself up with his elbows.

“I bet you wouldn’t,” Laurent retorted. Sarcastically.

Damen allowed himself the simple pleasure of hover above Laurent and look at him from this perspective. The blond hair mused, sprawled like an aura around his head, his lips quirked up, begging to be kissed. The way he looked at Damen, seemingly unable to keep his hands off Damen’s body made Damen feel a young man in love.

“You’re beautiful,” Laurent whispered, taking Damen by surprise.

He couldn’t tell if Laurent had the time to see Damen’s face flush before they were caught in a mess of a kiss and the clothes they struggled to get out of their way.

**Author's Note:**

> Meet me at  tumblr  if u want!


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